Mercy Ships
BUILDING DONOR RELATIONS
OBJECTIVE:
Gain new donors for Mercy Ships' Shipmates program, while also encouraging existing donors to continue their support of this very important program.
PROGRAM SPECIFICS:
Since its inception in 1978, Mercy Ships International has been able to provide more than $670 million worth of medical equipment, hospital supplies, medicine and services across the world thanks to a dedicated group of monthly donors called "Shipmates."
BDM was given the opportunity to help Mercy Ships revamp its Shipmates monthly donor program, which included the development of a new look and feel for all of their donor mailings. These highly personalized mailers featured information about the work of Mercy Ships, along with compelling patient testimonials and before-and-after photography as a way to begin building a personal relationship between Mercy Ships and the prospective donor.
Each full-color, highly targeted mailing included a strong call-to-action to both prospective and existing donors for their support and provided a simple way for recipients to make a commitment to the Shipmates program by mail or online.
RESULTS:
The Shipmates cultivation mailings were responsible for over 3,000 new donations, earning these efforts an incredible 67% response rate.